State Farm donates to Ionia Intermediate School District

Friday

Oct 4, 2013 at 12:53 PM

State Farm agents presented members of the Youth Advisory Council a check for $96,886 Friday morning.

Mattie Cookmattie.cook@sentinel-standard.com

State Farm agents presented members of the Youth Advisory Council a check for $96,886 Friday morning. The money will be dedicated toward projects helping to address food insecurity issues in Ionia and Montcalm counties.

Deborah Wilks of Lowell State Farm and Rick Rogusky and Neil Brown of Ionia State Farm, as well as State Farm spokesperson Angie Rinock, gathered to present the check during the Youth Advisory Council's Oct. 4 meeting.

Students from Saranac, Ionia, Lowell, Lakewood, Belding, Portland and Holland were present at the meeting to receive the check, as well as plan for upcoming events and activities.

"State Farm is our main sponsor and they are helping with our part of the Celebrate My Drive contest this year," said Ionia Intermediate School District Director of Grants and Special Projects Deb Wagner.

This grant was given as a way to encourage students to address food insecurity issues throughout Ionia and Montcalm counties in a peer-to-peer fashion.

According to Rinock, Ionia and Montcalm counties have 7,620 food-insecure children.

"Research has established that food insecurity has an impact on children's health and well-being. It can result in poor cognitive development, socio-emotional development and health outcomes for children," Rinock said.

According to Youth Advisory Council members Luke Kloosterman of Lowell and Hannah Lufkin of Portland, this money will be used in a number of ways. Some of its uses will include the creation of two hydroponics greenhouses, cookbooks created by Heartlands programs and filled with recipes using ingredients from the greenhouses and a focus on organic gardening.

In addition to working on addressing food issues, the Youth Advisory Council is gearing up for the Teen Driver Safety Conference Oct. 18 in Holland.

According to Lufkin, the objectives students have decided to address regarding safe driving will focus on the utilization of seat belts, texting and driving and drink and driving.

"The goal is to spread the word," said Wagner.

One of the ways the group is spreading the word is through a 30-second public service announcement that is available online, as well as being aired on local news channels during commercial breaks.

The public service announcement focuses on teens at a Portland High School football game who later are involved in a car accident due to driving under the influence, as well as distracted driving. This video is meant to serve as a reminder or warning to students and is not based on actual events.

Students from each school will be highlighting the campaign by spreading flyers across their communities and schools, using social media to spread the word, sending mass emails to students and parents, hosting presentations in classes and reminding their peers during school announcements.

Schools around the country are competing to gain votes on Facebook for this year's Celebrate My Drive contest.

Individuals may vote once per day for the group of their choice. The winning group will receive $100,000 and a Kelly Clarkston concert in their area.

"We are encouraging all students from our schools to vote," Kloosterman said.

In addition, information on the contest will be placed into all bags provided at Montcalm County McDonald's restaurants, and will be available in Ionia County McDonald's restaurants, as well.

Voting will take place daily from Oct. 18 through 26.

"The Celebrate My Drive is just another way of celebrating a huge milestone for students getting their driver's license. We want to promote the positive aspects of teen driver safety," Wagner said.